Ets official gre verbal reasoning TC

Question 1

court

Answer 1

1. VERB
   To court a particular person, group, or country means to try to please them or improve your relations with them, often so that they will do something that you want them to do.
   [journalism]
   Commercial radio stations are courting listeners who prefer different types of music. [VERB noun]
   Stars are courted by manufacturers who value their influence on style-conscious fans. [VERB noun]
2. VERB
   If you court something such as publicity or popularity, you try to attract it.
   She has to court publicity to sell records and concert tickets. [VERB noun]
   Reynolds did not court favour and tended to speak his mind. [VERB noun]
3. VERB
   If you court something unpleasant such as disaster or unpopularity, you act in a way that makes it likely to happen.
   If he thinks he can remain in power by force, he is courting disaster. [VERB noun]
   The commission should risk courting unpopularity and push on with its policy changes. [VERB noun]
   Synonyms: invite, seek, attract, prompt More Synonyms of court
4. RECIPROCAL VERB [usually cont]
   If you are courting someone, you spend a lot of time with them, because you are intending to get married. You can also say that two people are courting.
   [old-fashioned]
   I was courting Billy at 19 and married him when I was 21. [VERB noun]
   …an isolated spot popular with courting couples. [VERB-ing]
   Synonyms: woo, go (out) with, go steady with [informal], ,date

Question 2

rugged

Answer 2

1. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
   A rugged area of land is uneven and covered with rocks, with few trees or plants.
   [literary]
   …rugged mountainous terrain.
   ruggedly ADVERB [ADVERB adjective]
   …a ruggedly beautiful wilderness.
   ruggedness UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
   The island’s ruggedness symbolises our history and the character of the people.
2. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
   If you describe a man as rugged, you mean that he has strong, masculine features.
   [literary, approval]
   A look of pure disbelief crossed Shankly’s rugged face.
   Synonyms: strong-featured, lined, worn, weathered More Synonyms of rugged
   ruggedly ADVERB [ADVERB adjective, ADVERB -ed]
   He was six feet tall and ruggedly handsome.
3. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
   If you describe someone’s character as rugged, you mean that they are strong and determined, and have the ability to cope with difficult situations.
   [approval]
   Rugged individualism forged America’s frontier society.
   Synonyms: uncompromising, decided, firm, tough More Synonyms of rugged
4. ADJECTIVE
   A rugged piece of equipment is strong and is designed to last a long time, even if it is treated roughly.
   The camera combines rugged reliability with unequalled optical performance and speed.
   ruggedness UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
   The body is 90% titanium for ruggedness.

Question 3

woo

Answer 3

1. VERB
   If you woo people, you try to encourage them to help you, support you, or vote for you, for example by promising them things which they would like.
   They wooed customers by offering low interest rates. [VERB noun]
   They are trying to woo back electoral support. [VERB noun with adverb]
   Synonyms: seek, cultivate, try to attract, curry favour with More Synonyms of woo
   wooing UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [oft poss NOUN]
   …the candidates’ wooing of each other’s traditional political bases. [+ of]
2. VERB
   To woo someone is to try to persuade them to marry you.
   [old-fashioned]
   The penniless author successfully wooed and married Fanny. [VERB noun]
   Synonyms: court, chase, pursue, spark [rare] More Synonyms of woo
   wooing UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [oft poss NOUN]
   …the hero’s wooing of his beautiful cousin Roxanne.

Question 4

moviegoer

Answer 4

COUNTABLE NOUN

A moviegoer is a person who often goes to the cinema.

Question 5

irksome

Answer 5

ADJECTIVE
If something is irksome, it irritates or annoys you.
[formal]
…the irksome regulations.
Synonyms: irritating, trying, annoying, aggravating

Question 6

morbid

Answer 6

ADJECTIVE
If you describe a person or their interest in something as morbid, you mean that they are very interested in unpleasant things, especially death, and you think this is strange.
[disapproval]
Some people have a morbid fascination with crime.
…morbid curiosity about the convicted murderer.
Synonyms: gruesome, sick [informal], dreadful, ghastly More Synonyms of morbid
morbidly ADVERB [usually ADVERB adjective]
There’s something morbidly fascinating about the thought.

Question 7

pivotal

Answer 7

ADJECTIVE
A pivotal role, point or figure in something is one that is very important and affects the success of that thing.
The Court of Appeal has a pivotal role in the English legal system.
The elections may prove to be pivotal in the country’s political history.
Synonyms: crucial, central, determining, vital

Question 8

trivial

Answer 8

ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as trivial, you think that it is unimportant and not serious.
The director tried to wave aside these issues as trivial details that could be settled later.
I don’t like to visit the doctor just for something trivial.
Synonyms: unimportant, little, small, minor

Question 9

daunting

Answer 9

ADJECTIVE
Something that is daunting makes you feel slightly afraid or worried about dealing with it.
They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.
The move to Prague was a daunting prospect for the bishop.
Occasionally I find the commitment and responsibility daunting.
Synonyms: intimidating, alarming, frightening, discouraging

Question 10

impediment

Answer 10

1. COUNTABLE NOUN [oft without N]
   Something that is an impediment to a person or thing makes their movement, development, or progress difficult.
   [formal]
   He was satisfied there was no legal impediment to the marriage. [+ to]
   Synonyms: obstacle, barrier, check, bar More Synonyms of impediment
2. COUNTABLE NOUN
   Someone who has a speech impediment has a disability which makes speaking difficult.
   John’s slight speech impediment made it difficult for his mother to understand him

Question 11

counterfeit

Answer 11

1. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
   Counterfeit money, goods, or documents are not genuine, but have been made to look exactly like genuine ones in order to deceive people.
   He admitted possessing and delivering counterfeit currency.
   Synonyms: fake, copied, false, forged More Synonyms of counterfeit
   Counterfeit is also a noun.
   They sold luxury watches and handbags – all counterfeits.
2. VERB
   If someone counterfeits something, they make a version of it that is not genuine but has been made to look genuine in order to deceive people.
   …the coins Davies is alleged to have counterfeited. [VERB noun]
   Synonyms: fake, copy, forge, imitate More Synonyms of counterfeit
   counterfeiting UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
   The business of counterfeiting appears to be expanding.
   counterfeiter
   Word forms: plural counterfeiters
   COUNTABLE NOUN [usually plural]
   …a gang of counterfeiters.

Question 12

devise

Answer 12

VERB
If you devise a plan, system, or machine, you have the idea for it and design it.
We devised a scheme to help him. [VERB noun]
New long-range objectives must be devised. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: work out, plan, form, design

Question 13

startling

Answer 13

ADJECTIVE
Something that is startling is so different, unexpected, or remarkable that people react to it with surprise.
Sometimes the results may be rather startling.
…startling new evidence.
His hair was dyed a startling black.
Synonyms: surprising, shocking, alarming, extraordinary

Question 14

reinvent

Answer 14

VERB (transitive)
1. VERB
To reinvent something means to change it so that it seems different and new.
They have tried to reinvent their retail stores. [VERB noun]
He was determined to reinvent himself as a poet and writer.
1. to replace (a product, etc) with an entirely new version
2. to duplicate (something that already exists) in what is therefore a wasted effort (esp in the phrase reinvent the wheel)

Question 15

fecklessness

Answer 15

ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as feckless, you mean that they lack determination or strength, and are unable to do anything properly.
[formal, disapproval]
He regarded the young man as feckless and irresponsible.
Synonyms: irresponsible, useless [informal], hopeless [informal], incompetent

Question 16

luminary

Answer 16

COUNTABLE NOUN
If you refer to someone as a luminary, you mean that they are an expert in a particular subject or activity.
[literary]
…the political opinions of such luminaries as Sartre or de Beauvoir.
Synonyms: celebrity, star, expert, somebody

Question 17

veracious

Answer 17

ADJECTIVE

1. habitually truthful or honest
2. accurate; precise

Question 18

incendiary

Answer 18

1. ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
   Incendiary weapons or attacks are ones that cause large fires.
   Five incendiary devices were found in her house.
   …incendiary attacks on shops.
   Synonyms: inflammatory, provocative, subversive, seditious More Synonyms of incendiary
2. COUNTABLE NOUN
   An incendiary is an incendiary bomb.
   A shower of incendiaries struck the Opera House.

Question 19

efflorescence

Answer 19

NOUN

1. a bursting forth or flowering
2. chemistry, geology
   a. the process of efflorescing
   b. the powdery substance formed as a result of this process, esp on the surface of rocks
3. any skin rash or eruption

Question 20

vitality

Answer 20

UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
If you say that someone or something has vitality, you mean that they have great energy and liveliness.
Without continued learning, graduates will lose their intellectual vitality.
Mr Li said China’s reforms had brought vitality to its economy.
Synonyms: energy, vivacity, sparkle, go

Question 21

clangorous

Answer 21

SINGULAR NOUN

A clangor is a loud or harsh noise.

Question 22

seeps

Answer 22

1. VERB
   If something such as liquid or gas seeps somewhere, it flows slowly and in small amounts into a place where it should not go.
   Radioactive water had seeped into underground reservoirs. [VERB preposition/adverb]
   The gas is seeping out of the rocks. [VERB preposition/adverb]
   Engineers said that plutonium could begin seeping from the corroded sub. [VERB preposition/adverb]
   Synonyms: ooze, well, leak, soak More Synonyms of seep
   Seep is also a noun.
   …an oil seep.
2. VERB
   If something such as secret information or an unpleasant emotion seeps somewhere, it comes out gradually.
   …the tide of political change which is sweeping Europe seeps into Britain. [VERB preposition/adverb]
   …letting information seep out of the Treasury.

Question 23

excise

Answer 23

1. VARIABLE NOUN [usually NOUN noun]
   Excise is a tax that the government of a country puts on particular goods, such as cigarettes and alcoholic drinks, which are produced for sale in its own country.
   …this year’s rise in excise duties.
   New car buyers will be hit by increases in taxes and excise.
   Synonyms: tax, duty, customs, toll More Synonyms of excise
2. VERB
   If someone excises something, they remove it deliberately and completely.
   [formal]
   …a personal crusade to excise racist and sexist references in newspapers. [VERB noun]
   …the question of permanently excising madness from the world. [VERB noun + from]
   Synonyms: delete, cut, remove, erase More Synonyms of excise
   excision (ɪksɪʒən )
   Word forms: plural excisions
   VARIABLE NOUN
   The authors demanded excision of foreign words. [+ of]
   Synonyms: deletion, destruction, removal, extermination

Question 24

indictment

Answer 24

1. COUNTABLE NOUN
   If you say that one thing is an indictment of another thing, you mean that it shows how bad the other thing is.
   It’s a sad indictment of society that police officers are regarded as easy targets by thugs. [+ of]
2. VARIABLE NOUN
   An indictment is a formal accusation that someone has committed a crime.
   [mainly US, law]
   Prosecutors may soon seek an indictment on racketeering and fraud charges. [+ on]
   The government’s indictment against the three men alleged unlawful trading.
   [Also + against]
   Synonyms: charge, allegation, prosecution, accusation

Question 25

inhibit

Answer 25

1. VERB
   If something inhibits an event or process, it prevents it or slows it down.
   Sugary drinks inhibit digestion. [VERB noun]
   The high cost of borrowing is inhibiting investment by industry in new equipment. [VERB noun]
   Synonyms: hinder, stop, prevent, check More Synonyms of inhibit
2. VERB
   To inhibit someone from doing something means to prevent them from doing it, although they want to do it or should be able to do it.
   It could inhibit the poor from getting the medical care they need. [VERB noun + from]
   Officers will be inhibited from doing their duty. [V n from -ing/n]
   Synonyms: prevent, stop, bar, frustrate

Question 26

use up

Answer 26

1. to finish (a supply); consume completely

2. to exhaust; wear out

Question 27

impecunious

Answer 27

ADJECTIVE
Someone who is impecunious has very little money.
[formal]
Synonyms: poor, broke [informal], penniless, short

Question 28

precocious

Answer 28

ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A precocious child is very clever, mature, or good at something, often in a way that you usually only expect to find in an adult.
Margaret was always a precocious child.
She burst on to the world tennis scene as a precocious 14-year old.
Despite her precocious talent for music and art, she failed both subjects at school.
Synonyms: advanced, developed, forward, quick

Question 29

dissemble

Answer 29

VERB
When people dissemble, they hide their real intentions or emotions.
[literary]
Henry was not slow to dissemble when it served his purposes. [VERB]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: hide, act, pretend, bluff

Question 30

untapped

Answer 30

ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
An untapped supply or source of something has not yet been used.
Mongolia, although poor, has considerable untapped resources of oil and minerals.
There is enormous, acknowledged and untapped potential in the Indian stock markets.

Question 31

hortatory

Answer 31

ADJECTIVE

1. serving to encourage or urge to good deeds
2. exhorting; giving advice

Question 32

transgresses

Answer 32

VERB
If someone transgresses, they break a moral law or a rule of behaviour.
If a politician transgresses, that is not the fault of the media. [VERB]
…a monk who had transgressed against the law of celibacy. [VERB + against]
It seemed to me that he had transgressed the boundaries of good taste. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: go beyond, exceed, infringe, overstep More Synonyms of transgress
transgression (trænzgreʃən )
Word forms: plural transgressions
VARIABLE NOUN
Tales of the candidate’s alleged past transgressions have begun springing up.
Synonyms: crime, wrong, fault, error

Question 33

trifling

Answer 33

ADJECTIVE
A trifling matter is small and unimportant.
The guests had each paid £250, no trifling sum.
Outside California these difficulties may seem fairly trifling.
…a comparatively trifling 360 yards.
Synonyms: insignificant, small, tiny, empty

Question 34

degenerate

Answer 34

1. VERB
   If you say that someone or something degenerates, you mean that they become worse in some way, for example weaker, lower in quality, or more dangerous.
   Inactivity can make your joints stiff, and the bones may begin to degenerate. [VERB]
   From then on the whole tone of the campaign began to degenerate. [VERB]
   …a very serious humanitarian crisis which could degenerate into a catastrophe. [VERB + into]
   Synonyms: decline, slip, sink, decrease More Synonyms of degenerate
   degeneration (dɪdʒenəreɪʃən ) UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
   …various forms of physical and mental degeneration.
   …the degeneration of our political system.
   Synonyms: deterioration, decline, dissolution, descent More Synonyms of degenerate
2. ADJECTIVE
   If you describe a person or their behaviour as degenerate, you disapprove of them because you think they have low standards of behaviour or morality.
   [disapproval]
   …a group of degenerate computer hackers.
   …the degenerate attitudes he found among some of his fellow officers.
   Synonyms: depraved, base, corrupt, fallen More Synonyms of degenerate
3. COUNTABLE NOUN
   If you refer to someone as a degenerate, you disapprove of them because you think they have low standards of behaviour or morality.
   [disapproval]
   Synonyms: pervert, deviant, profligate, libertine

Question 35

gross

Answer 35

1. ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
   You use gross to describe something unacceptable or unpleasant to a very great amount, degree, or intensity.
   The company were guilty of gross negligence.
   …an act of gross injustice.
   Synonyms: flagrant, obvious, glaring, blatant More Synonyms of gross
   grossly ADVERB [ADVERB -ed/adjective]
   Funding of education had been grossly inadequate for years.
   She was grossly overweight.
2. ADJECTIVE
   If you say that someone’s speech or behaviour is gross, you think it is very rude or unacceptable.
   [disapproval]
   He abused the Admiral in the grossest terms.
   I feel disgusted and wonder how I could ever have been so gross.
3. ADJECTIVE
   If you describe something as gross, you think it is very unpleasant.
   [informal, disapproval]
   I spat them out because they tasted so gross.
   He wears really gross holiday outfits.
4. ADJECTIVE [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
   If you describe someone as gross, you mean that they are extremely fat and unattractive.
   [disapproval]
   I only resist things like chocolate if I feel really gross.
5. ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
   Gross means the total amount of something, especially money, before any has been taken away.
   …a fixed rate account guaranteeing 10.4% gross interest or 7.8% net until October.
   Gross is also an adverb.
   Interest is paid gross, rather than having tax deducted.
   …a father earning £20,000 gross a year.
6. ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
   Gross means the total amount of something, after all the relevant amounts have been added together.
   National Savings gross sales in June totalled £709 million.
   Synonyms: total, whole, entire, aggregate More Synonyms of gross
7. ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
   Gross means the total weight of something, including its container or wrapping.
8. VERB
   If a person or a business grosses a particular amount of money, they earn that amount of money before tax has been taken away.
   [business]
   I’m a factory worker who grossed £9,900 last year. [VERB noun]
   So far the films have grossed more than £590 million. [VERB noun]
   Synonyms: earn, make, take, bring in More Synonyms of gross
9. NUMBER
   A gross is a group of 144 things.
   He ordered twelve gross of the disks. [+ of]
   Phrasal verbs:
   See gross out

Question 36

dictate

Answer 36

1. VERB
   If you dictate something, you say or read it aloud for someone else to write down.
   Sheldon writes every day of the week, dictating his novels in the morning. [VERB noun]
   Everything he dictated was signed and sent out the same day. [VERB noun]
   [Also VERB]
2. VERB
   If someone dictates to someone else, they tell them what they should do or can do.
   We don’t want to dictate to anyone how to live their lives. [VERB to noun]
   What right has one country to dictate the environmental standards of another? [VERB noun]
   He cannot be allowed to dictate what can and cannot be inspected. [VERB wh]
   What gives them the right to dictate to us what we should eat? [VERB + to]
   The officers were more or less able to dictate terms to successive governments. [VERB noun + to]
   The rules of court dictate that a defendant is entitled to all evidence which may help his case. [VERB that]
3. VERB
   If one thing dictates another, the first thing causes or influences the second thing.
   The film’s budget dictated a tough schedule. [VERB noun]
   The way in which they dress is dictated by very rigid fashion rules. [VERB noun]
   Of course, a number of factors will dictate how long an apple tree can survive. [VERB wh]
   Circumstances dictated that they played a defensive rather than attacking game. [VERB that]
   Synonyms: determine, demand, command, establish More Synonyms of dictate
4. VERB
   You say that reason or common sense dictates that a particular thing is the case when you believe strongly that it is the case and that reason or common sense will cause other people to agree.
   Commonsense now dictates that it would be wise to sell a few shares. [VERB that]
5. COUNTABLE NOUN
   A dictate is an order which you have to obey.
   Their job is to ensure that the dictates of the Party are followed. [+ of]
6. COUNTABLE NOUN [usually plural]
   Dictates are principles or rules which you consider to be extremely important.
   We have followed the dictates of our consciences and have done our duty. [+ of]
   Synonyms: principle, law, rule, standard